Sudan press regulator suspends The Citizen newspaper
September 1, 2008 (JUBA) — Sudanese press regulator has suspended today The Citizen newspaper, an English language daily issued from Juba since two years.
The Editor in chief, Nhial Bol, said the suspension of his independent daily comes to sanction his rejection to remove the Managing Editor of The Citizen who is from the troubled Darfur region.
The National Press Council (NPC) pressed Bol to dismiss Izzadine Abdoul-Rassuou, the Managing Editor because he is from the troubled Darfur region, he said.
“Many members of the NPC privately approached me and asked to step down from nominating Izzadine because they believed that his presence in the management would influence editorial contents, I rejected this call since April 2008” he said.
A NPC spokesperson o confirmed today the suspension but he insisted on the administrative character of their decision, adding there was no political pressure on The Citizen.
He added that The Citizen editor should be based in Khartoum as it was provided in its licence.
“We reject that too. Sudan is one country and the Editor-in-Chief has the right to have an office anywhere in the country,” Bol said in a statement sent to Sudan Tribune.
He further said that he was served a warning letter last week blaming him for employing southern journalists who were not registered in Khartoum.
Before established his own newspaper, Nhial Bol worked for many years as Managing Editor at Khartoum Monitor of Alfred Taban who taught him to be critical of power and to have an independent spirit.
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Mr Point
Sudan press regulator suspends The Citizen newspaper
Where is the Citizen website?
Thyinka
Sudan press regulator suspends The Citizen newspaper
Isn’t it time to have an independent press in the South that is not being controlled from Khartoum? NCP should not be allowed to control the media in South Sudan. The papers in the south should not be subjected to NCP political wimps.
Moses Kur Akech
Sudan press regulator suspends The Citizen newspaper
The absence of freedom of press laws in Sudan will never yield a democratic change in the country.
I think this is time for SPLM to use its membership in the government of national unity to curve the regime’s behaviour towards independent media outlets. The regime’s harsh censorship on media promotes the existing atmosphere of no accountability in all of the injustices being undertaken by Bashir to defend its self-imposed rule.
The presence of media watch creates public scrutiny on how the country is being run by the contemporaneous government. SPLM should respond to this undemocratic regulation of media in the country. Though they tend to be turning deaf ears due to fear of retaliatory political repercussions from the regime, but this silence will never unravel the unrest situation in the country.
Jay
Sudan press regulator suspends The Citizen newspaper
Are there any more top secrets Bashire is protecting by suspending the daily Newspaper? I though he was already in trouble. Well I wish him good luck if he has more to shield.
TG
Sudan press regulator suspends The Citizen newspaper
Bashir, NCP, Khartuom or who ever, have no right to control any media company in South Sudan. it is time for the GOSS to form or contribute to an independent meadia station in Juba under the SPLM support, so people can not loose businesses becouse of arrogancy from the NCP. people from Durfur are sudanese as well, if some are doing good, so let them be, becouse they are sudanese citizens.